AUG 21 at 1PM EST: National Black Justice Coalition, AARP Honor Legendary, Black LGBTQ+/SGL Men, Elders With James Baldwin Awards
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
Ceremony to Celebrate Accomplishments and Experiences of Black LGBTQ+/SGL Men Trailblazers
WASHINGTON – On Monday, August 21, at 1:00 PM (EST), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) will host the 3rd annual James Baldwin Legacy Awards to honor the invaluable contributions of Black men and masculine elders within the Black LGBTQ+/same gender loving (SGL) movement and community. The event is sponsored by AARP.
The awards show is an opportunity to honor iconic Black LGBTQ+/SGL men who have blazed trails across many fields and careers, and the ceremony will premiere live on NBJC’s website, YouTube, and social media platforms.
This year’s honorees include (in alphabetical order):
- Jonathan Capehart (Lives in Washington, DC, grew up in NJ) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associate Editor of The Washington Post and hosts The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart on MSNBC.
- Frederick Davie (Lives in New York City, NY, born and raised in Belmont, North Carolina) is the Senior Strategic Advisor to the President at Union Theological Seminary and a glass ceiling-breaking leader in Philanthropy as Interim Executive Director at the Arcus Foundation.
- Jamil Fletcher (Lives in Upper Marlboro, MD, grew up in Wilmington, DE) is the founder and publisher of SWERV Magazine, a national lifestyle periodical celebrating the culture and community of Black LGBTQ+/SGL people.
- Judge Darrin P. Gayles (Lives in Miami, FL, born in Peoria, Illinois) is the first openly gay Black male judge confirmed by the U.S. Senate (98-0) to serve in a federal court: the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
- Jeffrey C. King (Born, raised, and lives in Los Angeles, CA) is the founder and Executive Director of In the Meantime Men, a social architect, social justice activist, and community-based researcher creating behavioral-based interventions specifically for Black gay men.
- Rev. Louis Mitchell (Lives in Tucson, AZ, born in Los Angeles, CA) is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Transfaith/Interfaith Working Group and Senior Pastor of Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ.
- Councilman Darryl Moore (Lives in Manassas Park, VA, born in Fontana, California) is the first and only openly gay Black man elected to public office in two different states: California (City Councilman in Berkeley) and Virginia (City Councilman in Manassas Park). He serves on the steering committee of the NBJC Good Trouble Network.
TO ATTEND THE BALDWIN AWARDS, CLICK HERE: https://nbjc.org/james-baldwin-legacy-awards/
“Too often, Black LGBTQ+/SGL elders are rendered invisible, the process of aging is hidden, and our existence is frozen in photos of young, thin, white appearing people at pride parades. If we’re supported, in a loving community, and protected by policies designed to ensure we thrive, we–Black LGBTQ+/SGL people grow old,” said Dr. David J. Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition. “The Baldwin Awards (and corresponding Wisdom Awards) are designed to give flowers to Black queer, trans, and non-binary/non-conforming leaders; celebrate the process of aging, preserve the lessons learned over time, and facilitate intergenerational connections that enable Black people to get closer to freedom–collectively.”
MORE ON THE BALDWIN AWARDS HERE: https://nbjc.org/james-baldwin-legacy-awards/
In addition to celebrating the accomplishments, experiences, and wisdom of Black men and masculine elders within the Black LGBTQ+/same gender loving (SGL) movement and community, the event will also advocate advancing policies that:
- Protect Black LGBTQ+/SGL Seniors and their dignity as they age in families, elder care facilities, senior living communities, and more; and
- Work to decriminalize and remove the stigma of being Black, LGBTQ+, and elderly.
- Educate and provide affordable and accessible treatment for elders who identify as Black same-gender loving and transgender men who are or have a higher risk to become HIV positive.
- Provide free home self tests for HIV/AIDS such as the CDC’s Take Me Home Program.
MORE ON NBJC’S POLICY AGENDA HERE: https://nbjc.org/nbjc-policy-agenda/
Throughout August, NBJC will honor elders and pioneers of the Black LGBTQ+/SGL movement on its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media platforms.